The map above shows Illinois and Northwest Territories side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Illinois vs Northwest Territories Geography
Land area: Illinois has a land area of 55,513 square miles (143,778 km²), while Northwest Territories has 456,792 square miles (1,183,085 km²). Northwest Territories' land area is 8.2 times (723%) larger than Illinois'.
Total area: Illinois: 57,913 square miles (149,995 km²) vs Northwest Territories: 519,734 square miles (1,346,106 km²), including inland and coastal water. Northwest Territories' total area is 9.0 times (797%) larger than Illinois'.
Length: Illinois is 390 miles (628 km) long from north to south; Northwest Territories is 1,310 miles (2,107 km). Northwest Territories' north-south length is 3.4 times (236%) longer than Illinois'.
Width: Illinois spans 283 miles (456 km) east to west; Northwest Territories spans 990 miles (1,593 km). Northwest Territories' east-west width is 3.5 times (250%) wider than Illinois'.
Highest point: Illinois's highest point is Charles Mound at 1,232 feet (376 m); Northwest Territories's is Mount Nirvana at 9,098 feet (2,773 m). Mount Nirvana is 7,866 feet higher than Charles Mound.
Lowest point: Illinois's lowest point is Mississippi River at 292 feet; Northwest Territories's is Arctic Ocean at 0 feet. Northwest Territories's lowest point is 292 feet lower.
Illinois vs Northwest Territories Population and History
Population: Illinois has a population of 12,710,158 (2024), while Northwest Territories has 45,257 (2024). Illinois' population is 280.8 times larger than Northwest Territories'.
Population density: Illinois: 229.0 people per square mile vs Northwest Territories: 0.1. Illinois' population density is 2,290.0 times higher than Northwest Territories'.
Biggest city: Illinois's biggest city is Chicago with 2,721,308 people; Northwest Territories's is Yellowknife with 20,340. Chicago's population is 133.8 times larger than Yellowknife's.
Largest metro area: Illinois's largest metropolitan area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (9,408,576 people) vs Northwest Territories's Yellowknife CMA (20,340). Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area's population is 462.6 times larger than Yellowknife CMA's.
History: Illinois: Admitted to the Union on December 3, 1818, as the 21st state. Northwest Territories: Became a Canadian territory on July 15, 1870. In its current form, Illinois is the older of the two by 52 years.
Illinois vs Northwest Territories Economy
GDP: Illinois's GDP is $1,148.1 billion (2024) vs Northwest Territories's $3.7 billion. Illinois' economic output is 310.3 times larger than Northwest Territories'.
GDP per capita: Illinois: $90,330 per person vs Northwest Territories: $82,646. Illinois' GDP per capita is 1.1 times (9%) higher than Northwest Territories'.
Official Websites
Illinois official website · Northwest Territories official website
More Size Comparisons
All Illinois size comparisons · All Northwest Territories size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.